New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-24
NEW AMERICANS.
PEOPLE AND THINGS AT CASTLE GARDEN.

"rHrM DAGoEs i"-sCENEs IN THE LABOR BUREAU.
II was a queer irony of fate that turned Castle
Garden thirty years ago over to the vulgar ioui-
Smering uses Of an emigrant entry port No public
huildinr OF old New-York has had gayer more
batriclan history. None could have lost in such q
melancholy destiny 50 rare perfume Oh INC anu
fashion from the old Knekerbocker times.
A frowning Dutch fort in the earlier days, 1t be-
came in time sort of oid-time casino for Batteiy
lounsers, then assembly hall and ballroom, ana
finally concert garden, gathering beneath its ROOF
when fashion was slipping further ana further
up from the Battery, all that was geyest ana most
sparkling In public pleasures for nealy haf cen
tury. Hero the Marquis de Lafayette landed on his
return to America in 1894, and the whore Guy
turnod out to welcome him with the most brilliant
ball. perhaps New-York in the Knickei booker DAY >
had seen. Here, too, President Jackson was recoe"
on his visit to New-York in 1892. Then cano uc
ooncertgardcn period, and Jenny Lind maao 'h0 o''
fort famous agalE with her singing.
Julien, the prince Of old-1me orchesera ioaueis'
waved his baton IN the Fofties from the old music
plati0rm and the cool galleries always had their
hundreds OF delighted occupants Fairs TOO anu
balls we're still held in the Garden, Win Dig po-
uticaI meeting occasionally, and so went through
the Fftes the old fort holding its own moro and
moro feebIy against tho increasing attractions up
town till the last straw broke in 1853 ana the big
vacant building turned over to meet the growing
needs Of tho Board of Emigration.
The old Castle Garden was burned to tho GROUND
In july 1876. 1t had been built Of wood on the
foundation walls Q; the FORT and except for the
puter galleries, which have been rephced, was
practically the same In appearance as tho present
one. 1t Is something Hike q big roundhouse withoub
the tracks and turntables, or some huge battle
panorama building Ike that OF Gettysburg or the
Monitor ana Merrimac duel. IT Is adj one big room
from floor to slxyghts with nothing to cover shabby
whitewashed walls. Around the rim OF the floor arc
the Iunch-counters wnero the emlgrants suy thcir
bread and milk and beer at rates fixed by tho com
missioners and posted in English and German acras
all over the place. The railroads have poOi tichet
office and the Board Of Emigration provides money
changer and q guard. It takes a Civil Service OK
animation IN languages no dOunt 10 get
behind the DESKS But in reality, as tho piacaid'
phow ono has TO only know German, scandinavian
and English to get along all right. FIenchmen and
spaniards scarcely turn up In the Garden.
"There's no need of talkn' paI1ey vou," said ono
Of tho men in tho Garden "Them fros-eaters Is
never a-troublin' us. It's tho Dutch that's always
thick In the Garden i get along o them easy
20 yah, vie befinden sic SIGH 1ch dawke linen.
yehr wohL Elm glas bier. Zwei biliets fur chicago
I'm all right on the Dutch But the Swedes Is pretty
hard to catch to and they nc gum lot anyway.
Don't talk much and look kim of afeerd you're goin
10 rob EN- The Eyetaians is the worst Jabbcr
away like magp,es. We don't pay much attention
20 'em though The padronyn come round and INK
vem all I'D. who what thin dirty daygoes says.
anyhow They amt no moro account thah hlg
ger"-and the attendant glanced around 10 see IL ne
could catch two good specimens to compare. But
there was nobody on hand except an oiu i'ana"
woman and a German tramp.
That was about O'Clock in the evening" after
the arrivals for the day had been sent OIL again on
the steamer Fletcher and the one-niehters from inc
Park benches beginning to drop In. the Gar
den Is at veest just before the steamer star1s
There is rush for the boat them and you can see
Of half
over one another in their haste TO get aboard Dirty
Italians with big greasy bags on their Dacks pro-
dominate. Then come the stohd Germans ana inc
heavy faced blond swedes and Norwcgians. Here
and there is a pugnacious Engiishman with reo
checks and a double-rimmcd cap. Frenchmen arc
scarce Emigration from France, Of course is small
Emigration from Ireland, every one Knows II
unusually large. Yet Irishmen are not often seen
in the Garden. 1t takes nov 'ecrlt from Cork OF
Dublin about two days to DO a naturalizcd citizen
In week he is the police force, and a'ter that
he is ready for any public vacancy from scat In
the Board VI Aldermen up To Commissiohoiship vi
Emigration itself.
Most of the Englshspeaking emigrants, in fact
know enough to get q start here without troubling
the Emigration Board at all. Four-ffths OF the
Castle Carbon tenants are Italians Germans aho
6candinavians, harmless, easily managed lot, with
scarcely a spark Of humor among them. The SwedeS
and Norwegans look sober and anxious. They are
better d.essed and cleaner, too, than the rest, With
o more decided air Of country sturdncss about them
Now and then sees pretty face, that OF BRIDE
generally, whose honeymoon graces have somehow
survived a ten days steerage passage. But both
Htn and women have a dazed, homesck look, ana
their lack Of English to put 1t In words makes IL
only the pathetic and distressing.
The Germans travel moro in families. They have
a dull, philosophical air of resignation III they can
only get their beer and Bohemian hard tack, thoy
will not grumbe. SO they sit patiently on their
tha lrninr
dispose of them. If the veImin Of the Garden
trouble thcm-and they are not "a clean "a they
ought to be-they take that merely another OF the
unavoidable ills OF life.
The italians are a picturesquely dirty lot. They
have a mad dogs aversion " running WAFER, and
steer clear Of the waterspigots Vaccinations OF
the EVIL One. So they have all the filth they want
with its attendant excitoments. 1t Is no uncommon
thing down in the Garden TO see an Italian woman
run her fingers critically over child's head, dart
vicously at the tiny prey, hold her fingers and
thumb at arms length and give a snap like the
falling Of guilotine. Then tho machine like dig
ging and scraping goes on again. The child pays
no attention to It, absorbed in sucking its dirty
thumb. But the grinning mother seems TO enjoy the
sport hugely.
Every Italian emigrants instinct IL to keep his
ego closely possible his filthy bag OF house
hold goods. No system OF checks can over satisfy
one OF ignorant creatures that he is not going
to be robbed, and men ana women ana chuucn nahR
pitffnly for hours at time about the door OF tho
baggage room at the Garden for glimpse of their
nasty belongings inside When the express-cart
comes 10 carry the stuff away there Will DO string
OF wretched owners jogging doggedly behind tho
tail board to the end OF the route, even 1t leads
away up to of the furthest Aquecuct shafts.
Tho Italians stick together moro tenacously than
the other emigrants. They hang around tho Garden
In groups and sleep on tho floor at night literally In
huddies Maccaroni cooked on shipboard IL their
chief food and they are far too poor and too saving
TO spend their pennies at the Garden restaurant
mo, I never sell thin Dagpes anything" said the
abo-bodied youth who unc0rks beer and cuts sand
wiohes behind OF the lunch counters. IAN
they wants little oeo for their bread crusts and
some fve-cent whiskey, and don't have neither
Of them at this stand Tho Germans Is our strong
holt. You sell beer and the Germans would
die IL they didn't drink their lager Two up, is it"
audth you In uncnrked hntfI0.